Hoshi Sato

by Starsinger

After a VERY traumatic and dramatic chapter of "Transitions" by beamIrang I felt compelled to write this. I recommend "Transitions" btw, it's really good. Just expect the author to be ruthless and you'll be alright. Don't own them.

After the trial, Archer took Jim to a nearby restaurant. It was clear the old man wanted to talk, McCoy's orders to go get some red meat in the boy, steak if possible, and make sure he eats a desert, gave him an opening. So, Archer ordered New York steak, a loaded baked potato, and a piece of cherry pie with ice cream, and then ordered a salad for himself. Jim glared at him, "MY doctor isn't trying to get me to gain weight, Jim," Archer said with a chuckle.

"You do realized we'll be here a while?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, I've heard about your notorious eating habits. I don't mind," Archer looked at him, "Tell me, please," he pleaded. Jim knew he wasn't talking about Hoshi's death, he wanted to know about her life on Tarsus IV.

Jim smiled sadly as an ice cold glass of Iced Tea was set in front of him. Damn, McCoy was really getting to him. "I met Hoshi-san on my third day at my aunt and uncle's. She was just as charming, affectionate, and welcoming as they were."

"So, you must be Beatrice's no good nephew, Jimmy," a voice interrupted his thoughts as he crossed the gravel road. Jim looked up to find the oldest woman he had ever met standing in front of a farmhouse. She was tiny, Asian, Japanese by the looks of her, her hair was almost completely white with a few black strands in it. She wore blue jeans, a t-shirt and had her hands on her hips as she gauged the youngster standing in front of her. Jim hadn't yet reached six feet, but he was already showing promise as to his height. "I heard how you drove your father's car off a cliff in Iowa. How'd you find a cliff in Iowa?"

"It was a rock quarry," Jim mumbled. He looked at the ground.

Hoshi walked right up to him and forced his head up to meet her in the eyes. "Come, have tea with me, and never be afraid to look me in the eyes." He followed her into her house. The door opened into a recess in the floor. Jim automatically removed his shoes before following Hoshi. She looked at him with a smile, she didn't even have to ask. He knelt at the tiny table in the living room. The house was decorated in a black and white motif, as silkscreen separated the kitchen from the rest of the house. She walked back to the table with a teapot and poured them both a cup. Jim sipped his tea as Hoshi fed him biscuits. He wolfed them down with the normal appetite of a teenager as she grinned, "So, tell me about yourself."

"I didn't need to tell her about my parents, she knew both Winona and George," Jim said, pausing long enough to finish chewing a bite of his steak. Looking at Jim now, it was hard to believe he wolfed anything down. As the months went on, I spent days at her home. Aunt Bea always knew where to find me, and I was keeping up my grades at school, so she never minded. She figured Hoshi was a good influence on me. Then, the crops started to fail."

Hoshi was in her greenhouse, tending to her plants. They were the only ones that weren't affected by the fungus, but the hermetically sealed environment had to do with that. Unfortunately, she couldn't feed everyone. She made sure the kids were fed first, they were always the priority. She and Jimmy still had tea once a week, but even that was getting low. Nothing was preparing them for what was coming. She even warned Jimmy about going to the square that night, he didn't listen, and she didn't go. He lived, she died.

"It's pretty ironic that I lived. Hoshi was kind, warm-hearted, and a grandmother to me," he stared down at his plate, everything was done except the pie as it arrived at his table. "They've erected a memorial to the dead on Tarsus IV, Matt told me that they've removed 'JT' as I'm not dead."

"Jim, you have no idea how much know what happened to her helps, I'm sorry you had to go through that again," Archer patted the other man's hand.

"I'm sorry there was nothing more that I could do to save her. In the end, I don't think I could have kept her hidden too," he said mournfully.

"She wouldn't have wanted you too, Jim, your kids were more important to her than an old lady at the end of her life."

"She had a picture on one of her walls, I'm pretty sure it was all of you on the Enterprise. You and T'Pol were in it." He fished in his pocket and pulled out a simple silver ring, the top of it was the Yin/Yang symbol of balance in all things. "I managed to sneak this out of her house before Kodos' goons arrived and burned it down." Archer's breath blew out explosively as he remembered it being the only piece of jewelry Hoshi ever wore. Jim gave it to Archer, "Here, take it, return it to me whenever."

"Thank you, Jim, you have no idea how much this means to an old man," Archer's eyes glistened, but no tears came forth. The two finished their dinners in companionable silence.